Do Not Love the Sea
by ThreeWishesKey
Summary: "A princess should never fall in love with the sea. It will burn your eyes and drown you in your sleep. Pirates are made for ocean blues, a castle does not suit his bones. Saltwater stings those who are unaware, loving him brings no treasure here." Edward took his time to grieve, but what he heard call to him in a storm shakes him of his sorrows. Kiddway AC4 spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and all that stuff blah blah blah it belongs to ubisoft

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"I'll be with you Kenway, I will."

Those were the words that sent him into drunken hallucinations and spiraled down into gut wrenching nightmares. He could still feel her slip from his grasp every time he woke, as reality hit him once more. Waking up was the hardest part for Edward, the warmth of her skin fading from his finger tips as he desperately tried to hold on. Anne had grieved with him, but she had been able to regain her sanity much sooner than he.

Six months later he awoke to a lurch of the room, almost being knocked out of his bed. Swinging his legs over and dropping his boots onto the wood floor he ran out to the deck to see the problem. Rain cut his skin as he was meant with angry winds. The sky was a swirl of gray and black over the men rushing to their stations. Edward raced to the helm as he saw a rogue wave come towards them. "Batten yourselves!" he shouted, hunkering down as they were hit. He could only watch while his men were tossed off the ship. Grimacing, he made his orders, but didn't even know where to sail away to, the storm stretching for miles in all directions.

His train of thought was interrupted by a voice singing out over the ravenous waves. The winds were silenced and the rain stopped falling as he followed the melody. His vision hazed as the men were still panicking while they worked. Turning the wheel with all his strength, but he felt no strain, too enchanted to notice.

The words and sky became clearer as he got closer to the voice, recognizing the shanty.

_"I dreamed a dream the other night."_

It sang as he grew closer.

_"My love she came, all dressed in white."_

The Jackdaw made it to where the rain began to lighten and the waves barely licked the ship.

_"All dressed in white, like some fair bride."_

Waves calming down while the crew returned to the deck, cheering, though the captain couldn't hear it.

_"Her cheeks were wet, her eyes did weep."_

Stepping away from the helm he moved to the railing.

_"She made no sound, no word she said."_

Edward couldn't bear being so far from the voice, and jumped into the water. He swam feverishly, having a need to find the source.

_"And then I knew my love was dead."_

Coming to a formation of rocks jetting out of the water he grabbed onto one, pulling his torso out of the water. Everything was a complete blur as the last note rang in his ears.

"Fancy me singin' do you, Kenway?" a voice all too familiar asked, shaking him from his trance. His eyes blue as the sea around him shot up to the large rock above him. He found tanned skin and dark chocolate hair hanging in curls and braids over tattooed shoulders. Bright red lips and a pale scar finally lead him to a dangerous spark in bronze eyes.

"M-Mary," he breathed, not believing his eyes. There was no way she was here, crimson lips pulled into a lopsided grin and the cerulean beads in her hair. _I must of drowned _he thought, for the world was cruel, and nothing gold could stay. "You're dead," he stated in shock.

"That's what I thought as well, yet I'm still here," she sang. She sat with one knee pulled to her chest with her arms draped around it, while the other leg dangled off the rock and hovered above the waves. "Suppose heaven and hell couldn't decide who got me, so they left me here."

"You can't be real, I was knocked out in the storm, I must've been," he insisted, shaking his head. "Maybe I died, my dreams never turn out this well," he muttered, slowly hoisting his body onto the rock below hers. His clothes felt heavy with water and his skin chilled as the wind blew past, making it feel too real for his liking.

"Nice to know you've been dreaming of me, but I don't like repeating myself. I am real, though at first I didn't believe it," Mary said, tracing the tattoo of a dagger on her thigh. "I also didn't think I could sing so well, but look what it brought me."

"I saw you accept death with open arms, and felt you go limp in my hands, watched your corpse be taken away." He said, his voice shaking as it grew louder, "I went through hell and followed your wishes, trying to become an honest man."

"I know, I remember death, but I remember waking up drifting below the waves, gasping for air, but water did not drown me, it gave me life once more." She said, looking down at the waves crashing against the rocks around her. "Swam up to the rocks, finding myself bare skinned and clueless as a babe. Instincts told me to call out, to sing, and when I did I drew a merchant ship in, drowning them when they crashed. Hearing the screams of dying men it all started to come back to me. Months I've been like this, sitting on rocks in solitude, occasionally crashing Templar ships. I feared I might drown you, trying to get you out of that storm."

He stood up on his rock, his eyes unreadable as he looked her over. Suddenly, he lunged for the rock above him; landing crouched in front of his friend. He threw his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. She returned the embrace, which he didn't fully expect, and hid her face in the crook of his neck. His scruffy blonde beard tickled her cheek as they sat in comforting silence. There was a whimpering laugh from Edward as he squeezed her shoulders. "I thought I lost you. Mary, god how I missed you," he murmured into her hair.

She let out a laugh as tears formed in her eyes. "I was so afraid I would've lost you in that storm, I had looked for you for weeks. I just wanted to see you again." Her voice trembled as she spoke, closing her eyes to take the rest of him in. His muscular arms and hands holding her so tight as though he was afraid she would slip through his fingers like grains of sand. He smelled of rum and spices, and strong with smoke and gunpowder. The warm sent masked the salt water and brought her home.

"You've been in the sea so long, why not come to shore?" He asked, his lips pressed into her hair. She tasted even more like the sea than he did, but he could still taste the coconuts on his lips. Her voice, though still gruff with a heavy accent, had a continuous melody even when the singing stopped. "Come back to Inagua with us, or I could take you back to Talum, to your assassins."

Mary relaxed her arms, though she still sat in his. She let out a sigh before speaking. "It seems that when I swim, I change rather noticeably, and it makes it farfetched to try and make it on a beach." She said, opening her eyes, "though the sea has always been my love, I find myself missing the earth and trees."

"When you say change…"

"It'll be easier if I just show you." She said, untangling herself from his grasp. Edward saw more inked skin on her than he ever thought he would, restraining himself from staring anywhere but her face, for he still wanted to remember every spot and scar. Watching as she jumped off their perch and into the water, leaving him leaning over the edge, waiting for her to resurface. When she did, she went to float on her back. "Just watch, Kenway." He looked over her body as her legs seemed to mold together, the skin being replaced by ruby scales as they extended. His eyes widened in shock and wonder as he watched her twist her tail around in the water.

"I never believed in those stories of women coming out of the sea and seducing men to crash their ships," he said, mesmerized by how she moved, "but you nearly did just that to me, lass."

"I don't want anyone to know about me, not yet. Not until I know how I do on land," she said, resting her arms on the rock, "I'll follow you to Inagua, and we'll see what happens there."


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks later the Jackdaw made it to Great Inagua. Edward had anxiously waited to see Mary again, for she stayed out of sight of the crew. Trying to not bring any attention to himself, he left the ship quickly, making his way to the manor. As promised, he went to where the forest meant the beach, and walked to the edge of the water. He paced a while, constantly glancing at the crashing waves, anticipating the red tail to splash above it.

After what he could only guess was an eternity, a flash of red was over the water before a tangle of brown hair came up. "O'er here, Kenway!" Mary shouted, several meters out into the waves. "I'm gonna need your assistance to make the rest of the way."

The blonde got up from his spot in the sand and sloshed through the waves until they reached half way up his torso, where she was floating. "No flapping about, now." Wrapping an arm around her waist and another halfway down her shimmering tail, he hoisted her out of the water and held her to his chest. Now having a closer look at the siren, he saw the red scales were mixed with forest green ones, overlapping in a way that created a matrix of patterns.

"You better start moving Kenway, I'd prefer to make it in before nightfall." Mary said, interrupting his studying of her tail. He rolled his eyes and began to walk back to shore. His eyes traveled up from her tail and noticed fins that grew out of the skin on her forearms and reached up to her elbows, the same shade of green as the accents on her tail. Two black ink bands were etched into her bicep, similar to the native assassins on Talum. Past the crest below her collarbone his eyes followed her dark hair that laid in a mess of soaked curls against her tanned and scarred skin, her ears had stretched to fins and stuck out past her hair.

Edward felt spines that ran up her back brush against his arm. "You ain't poisonous, are you?" He asked, trying not to sound too concerned. He had run into many deadly fish in his diving trips, and wasn't a fan of the effect they had on him.

"I wouldn't know. Do they sting? Don't know how to cure me own poison." She remarked, hooking an arm around his neck for a more secure position.

"You're going to be the death of me," Edward said, feeling the slick scales beneath his fingers. Trudging out of the water he began hiking up the beach.

"You're such a child, Edward, scared of pretty girls?" She teased in a condescending voice.

"I could drop you right here, leave you stuck in the sand for some drunk bloke to find you bare skinned and all." He warned, loosening his grip.

"I swear you're an absolute pig." She huffed, crossing her free arm over her chest. They made it off the sand and into the forest behind the manor. "God it's been ages since I've seen trees." She said, gazing around at the plants. "I never thought I could miss the land this much." Mary relaxed into his arms, a smile spreading across her lips as she took in the colors of the sun shining through the leaves.

Walking up to the entrance, Edward carefully let go of her waist to open the door, causing the siren to tighten her grip around his neck. Closing the door behind them, he wrapped his arm around her again as he strode to the parlor. Setting her down on the couch, the end of her tail hanging off of the armrest opposite to the one she rested against.

"I've missed the feeling of being on an island terribly, noting but rocks and waves for months." She said, tracing the pattern of the fabric lining with her fingers. Resting her head against the pillows she sighed, glancing at the spots darkened by the water and back up at the man who carried her here. "I suppose I should thank you, and apologize for staining your fancy furniture." She murmured, her brown eyes meeting his blue ones.

"You're very welcome." He replied, sitting down in the chair facing the couch. "To be honest while I was waiting for you I wondered if I had actually seen you, it's just bizarre. You're alive, and you're a fish." He said, chuckling.

"Trust me, I'm real." She said. "I'm not sure what I am. Fish or not, I'd like some clothes." She had goosebumps on her skin from the air bowing across her wet skin. Rubbing her arm to try and warm up.

"Of course." He said, getting up and leaving the parlor to go back to his room.

Mary ran her fingers through her hair, untangling the knots left there from the waves. Flicking droplets onto the floor as she reached the ends of her locks, she peers down at her tail. The scales were beginning to recede and revealed skin as she slowly regained her legs. The sound of boots hitting the floor caught her attention as Edward made his way back into the room with folded clothes under his arm. "These are all I have, they're a bit big." He remarked, tossing them at her. Mary caught them and slipped the shirt on. Standing up, the shirt hung to her thighs, and the sleeves past her finger tips. Mary's eyebrows furrowed and her lips went to a pout.

Edward stifled a laugh as he saw her distress, she looked young and girlish in his massive shirt. Blood rushed up to her face making her cheeks candy apple red from a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Quit your cackling!" She snapped at him, her hands clenching into fists. The man grinned at his friend while she shot him a threatening glare. Tugging on the trousers given to her, she tied them up with a red sash he had put with them, keeping them up despite being much too large for her hips. Rolling up them up to her knees and her sleeves to her elbows she looks back over at Edward, her brown eyes noticing a strip of red fabric tied around his arm. "And what is that on your arm? Injury? Prize? Never seen it before." She inquired, walking forward carefully, unstable on her new legs.

He glanced down at his bicep where it was tied, yanking on it so it came undone. "It was-is yours. Kept it as a memento, I guess," he said, handing it to her, "thought it'd remind me of what you wanted me to do. Anyway, it's not like I was the only one. Anne wears your jacket, says it makes her feel strong or something." He finished, trying to explain himself, glancing down.

Mary took it from him, it had been worn and faded by the saltwater and winds, but still kept its vibrant shade of wine, frayed at the edges from abuse of the weather. Taking an end in each hand she wrapped it around her head, keeping her hair down but in place as she tied a knot on the left side. "What's become of Anne?" She asked, waltzing around the room, "I miss her terribly."

"I've taken her as my quartermaster; she's quite good at shouting at my men. They fear her almost as much as they respect her." He chided, admiring her regaining her grace on land. "She's missed you as well, she thought of you higher in death than her husband." She twirled back to face him when the sound of a door opening caught her attention.

"Edward?" A feminine Irish accent called out, "You left rather quickly, something happen?" As it spoke footsteps grew closer to the parlor. "Were you talking to someone...?" It stopped as a fiery haired woman rounded the corner, her mouth dropping open as she stopped in her tracks, blue eyes wide.

"Mary?!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh lord, Mary, it can't be you!" Anne shrieked. "Edward…tell me you see her a well." She pleaded , her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Aye, Mary is really there." He answered softly, smiling at both of the girls.

Red hair whipping behind her like flames, Anne flew towards the other woman, throwing her arms around her and squeezing her tightly. "You're actually here, Mary, good lord you're here." She cheered as salty tears ran down her freckled cheeks.

Mary returned the embrace almost immediately, her hands pushing out of the long sleeves."Yes I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to hold me so tight." She chimed.

Anne pulled back enough to look at her face, eyes bloodshot from her joy. Showering Mary's face with fluttering kisses, the red head caused the siren to burst out into a fit of giggles."Oh losing you was losing my sister!" She cried, placing one last kiss on her cheek.

"My time away was without my family, which you seem to be the only remaining member of. God I missed you Anne." Mary cooed softly, "why don't we sit and catch up. Glancing at Edward he continued, "Alone, I believe he's stolen me away long enough now." He complied and left the room, walking down the hall.

"Now you must explain what happened."

The friends started out catching up, sitting next to each other on the couch. Soon Mary was sprawled out with her head on Anne's lap as the Irish woman took the beads out of her hair. "Honestly to think that my own friend would become what they tell stories about…" She mused, untangling the dark hair, causing Mary too flinch.

"Do you really have to do this?" She asked, her brows furrowed together. "I'm not like you, I don't have time every day to put fresh flowers in my hair." She groaned, whimpering as a knot was forced out.

"I swear Mary you put up with gunshots and stab wounds better than this." Anne teased, placing the cracked beads on the end table. "Spending months swimming about didn't help your hair at all." She said, digging out the last bead.

"Alright Anne, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault giving birth in that prison was so dreadful." Anne murmured, running her fingers through the untangled curls.

"Speaking of that, whatever happened to that bump growing in your stomach?"

"Oh…my son, he died before I gave birth." She answered sadly, closing her eyes. "I was going to name him after you, his fearless aunt. He would've been James Bonny."

Mary sat up, her hand cupping Anne's cheek. "Before my daughter was taken away I named her. She was Anne Read." She said, brushing the tear from the other woman's cheek. "Do you know what became of her?"

Anne's breaths shook as she tried to compose herself, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. "Oh god I never thought of finding her Mary…I'm so sorry!"

The siren pulled her sobbing friend into a hug, whispering to her "It's okay" and "It's not your fault repeatedly. Once the red head calmed down she pulled back and looked at Mary. "Just means I'll be getting a late start."

"A late start on what?" Anne asked curiously.

"On bringing my daughter home."


End file.
